Film / William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

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"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, whose misadventured piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parent's strife. The fearful passage of their death marked love, and the continuance of their parent's rage, which but their children's end not could remove, is now the two hours' traffic of our stage."

It notably updates the setting to modern California (in a fictional modern American/Hispanic city called "Verona Beach"), but keeps most of the original dialogue from the play, creating a rather unique adaptation. For example, the Montagues and Capulets are shown as warring mafia empires, and swords are replaced with guns (with brand names like Sword and Dagger).

Of course, most of the tropes which apply to Romeo and Juliet also apply to this film.

This film contains examples of:

Tybalt starts beating up Romeo when the latter refuses to fight him, forcing Mercutio to intervene.

Romeo as well. In the play, Tybalt returns to the scene after killing Mercutio, and Romeo kills him in a duel. Here, Romeo chases Tybalt down quite violently, and shoots him repeatedly in (more or less) cold blood. He also engages in a shoot-out with the police at the climax.

Lord Capulet was verbally demeaning in the play, but that was about it. Here, he's a domestic abuser.

Age Lift: The 13 year old Juliet in the play is now a 16 year old, Lord Capulet's mention of her being less than 14 is noticeabley cut. Romeo's age was unspecified in the play but he is also 16 years old in this movie.

Almost Kiss: The second time Romeo and Juliet try to kiss, they are interrupted by the ding of a bell. Quickly subverted seconds later as the two enter an elevator and kiss in there.

Ambiguously Gay: Mercutio. He plays a drag queen to boot. Tybalt manages to provoke Mercutio into hostilities with a homophobic taunt of "Mercutio! Thou consortest with Romeo!", removing a considerable amount of ambiguity to many viewers.

Bling-Bling-BANG!: Romeo, Sampson, Mercutio and Tybalt carry some of the most elaborately decorated pistols in film history with gold plating, custom magazines with family crests and decorated grips. Tybalt's Rapier 9mm particularly stands out. Even his pistol's magazines have the Capulet family crest on them.

Broken Record: The "either thou, or I, or both must go with him" line said by Romeo to Tybalt once in the original is screamed over and over again in this version.

Christianity Is Catholic: Loads and loads of Catholic iconography is in this movie - to the point of being over-the-top. Partially justified as it revolves around feuding Italian mafia families living in a Latin American community.

The Dying Walk: Mercutio does this after his Dying Curse, walking away from the site of his fight with Tybalt, and shoving away Romeo when he tries to help Mercutio. Then he collapses on the beach and dies there.

Gun Fu: This particular version of the Shakespearean play is pretty big on the gunplay, both in the opening scene and in the shootout between Romeo and the cops near the end. Interestingly, guns in this movie are given the names of swords, since the Shakespearean dialogue is almost completely intact.

Gun Porn: Benvolio, Tybalt, and Mercutio sport some of the most beautifully◊awesome◊pistols◊ to ever grace the silver screen. Even guns that belong to nameless extras and only get maybe a second of screen time are decked out with gold detailing and the like.

The Gunslinger: Most of the characters use guns, but Tybalt in particular gives this impression.

Meet Cute: Instead of going the Dance of Romance route, this adaption has Romeo and Juliet meet from opposite sides of a fish tank in a giggle-inducing scene.

Mind Screw: Romeo takes drugs before the party and sees Tybalt kissing his own aunt, Mercutio singing in drag and the room spinning. Considering who directs the film, it should be expected.

Mistimed Revival: Juliet wakes up just too late to stop Romeo killing himself. This adaptation makes the timing almost unbearable.

Modesty Bedsheet: Juliet wears one the morning after she sleeps with Romeo. Its strategic placement also helps conceal Romeo putting his pants back on.

Mushroom Samba: Mercutio gives Romeo a hit of "Queen Mab" (MDMA, a.k.a. ecstasy) before the party. The line "thy drugs are quick" is moved from the suicide scene to here for added effect.

My God, What Have I Done?: After Romeo loses the initial buzz of anger-fueled adrenaline during his killing Tybalt, his face quite notably changes to an expression of shock and regret as Romeo begins to become horrified with what he's done.

Next Sunday A.D.: The setting is in the mid-1990s, presumably 1996, the year the film came out.

No Indoor Voice: About half of the dialogue is screamed in an apparent attempt to make it more exciting for younger audiences.

Noisy Guns: Romeo finds himself looking down the barrel of a double-barrelled shotgun... accompanied by the sound of a shell being pumped into the chamber.

Oh, Crap!: Romeo, in a dramatic moment that doesn't occur in the original play.

Promoted to Love Interest: There are hints throughout the movie that Tybalt and Lady Capulet are having an affair. They smoke the same brown cigarettes, they make out during the costume party, and Lady Capulet weeps over Tybalt's dead body and shouts "Romeo killed Tybalt, Romeo must not live!"

Race Lift: The play takes place in Italy, so both families are Italian. Here, the Montegues are exclusively Anglo, note Mercutio doesn't count, he's actually related to The Prince/Captain Prince. while the Capulets are a mix of Italians and Latinos, with a few black people sprinkled in.

Captain Prince and his kinsman Mercutio are black in this, but oddly Paris (who in the play is related to the Prince and Mercutio) is Anglo. This explains why the family relationship between Paris and Prince is not mentioned - but that leaves hanging a line mentioned where Prince explains that he lost family as well - that line was referring to Paris.

Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Capulets and Montegues are differentiated this way, with the Capulets being angry and sharply dressed, while the Montegues are more clownish and wear casual Hawaiian shirts.

Symbolic Wings: Juliet wears an angel costume at the party. This costume is her most iconic and is shown prevalently in promotional material.

Sunshine Noir: There's a good amount of influence from Scarface and Miami Vice on the film's aesthetic, in addition to dovetailing with the similar aesthetic of pop stars such as Ricky Martin who were popular when the movie came out.

What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to Paris? In the original story he was killed by Romeo, but in this version, he disappears without explanation. The Prince's line about "losing a brace of kinsmen" is a reference to Paris's death - but it could be reinterpreted to mean Mercutio.

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